The Nervous Sun

Here I am, it's been a month.

Here's what's going on in my neck of Utah, the "I'm just not going to let spring ever come" state. I love how John Updike talks about March in his children's book "A Child's Calendar." He says,

"The sun is nervous
As a kite
That can't quite keep
It's own string tight.

Some days are fair,
And some are raw.
The timid earth
Decides to thaw.

Shy budlets peep
From twigs on trees,
And robins join
The chickadees.

Pale crocuses
Poke through the ground
Like noses come
To sniff around.

The mud smells happy
On our shoes,
We will wear mittens,
Which we lose."

This is March. The sun peaks out and hides, then starts the whole thing over again. When the sun's out it's tolerable and even exciting, but when it's not, it's not worth staying outside. My son thinks it's definitely spring, and likes to wear shorts and t-shirts to school when it's 30 degrees outside. Can I just say that I am sick to death of fighting with him about clothes. When I ask him to take a jacket to school, you'd think I'd asked him to hike through the Kalahara without water. Good grief.

Yesterday at school was the 5th grade maturation program for boys and girls. "But we were separated," Nathan told me. I couldn't believe when he got in the car after school and "shared" this information with me. I was stunned when he brought it up at dinner in front of his teenage sisters. "What did they tell you?" they giggled. Their laughing didn't deter him at all.

"About how we're supposed to wear deoderant and take a shower every day. Giggle giggle, blush blush from the sister section. "And how pretty soon we're going to start liking girls." Giggle, giggle.

"We all gagged and pretended to throw up when he said that," he added. Peals of laughter from all of us.

"Next year you'll learn more stuff," I said.

"Great," he said, and rolled his eyes.

My crocuses are poking through. Updike's crocuses are pale but mine are bright yellow and purple. I'm glad we made the effort to plant them last fall. Thankfully they can't go back into the ground after they've sprung, like the sun going behind the clouds. They are the bravest flower of all, to stand up to the fickle days of March.

Hope there's some sun wherever you are today!